The signing ceremony took place at the US Chamber of Commerce, witnessed by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue.

The trade agreement, worth up to 5.6 billion USD, is the Vietnamese carrier’s first deal to purchase wide-body aircraft.

FLC Group Chairman Trinh Van Quyet said the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will serve long international air routes, adding that the airline’s long-term goal is to connect Vietnam with major markets in Asia, Europe and North America.

The airplane’s high-class interior design is in line with Bamboo Airways’ target to become the first airline to provide First Class seats in Vietnam, he added.

In May 2017, FLC Group announced the decision to establish the Viet Bamboo Airways Company, with charter capital of 700 billion VND (31.4 million USD).

Currently, Bamboo Airways is planning routes while waiting for Government approval of its operation licence. FLC plans to serve 24 domestic and 16 international routes.

In Vietnam, the airline will connect tourism complexes, such as Thanh Hoa-Quy Nhon, Thanh Hoa-Phu Quoc, Thanh Hoa-Nha Trang and Hai Phong-Quy Nhon.

In the international market, Bamboo Airways will cover Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. It also plans to open flights to the US and Europe eventually.

In March, FLC Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus to buy up to 24 A321neo aircraft for Bamboo Airways.

Capable of accommodating 300 passengers, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner can save up to 20 percent of fuel compared to previous versions of Boeing aircraft.

Since 2011, more than 640 Dreamliner aircraft have been used, serving 226 million passengers on 680 air routes worldwide.-VNA